Shorter F1 road closure period to minimise disruptions

Organisers of this year's Singapore Grand Prix hope a shorter period of road closure will minimise disruptions to traffic and businesses. Roads will be closed for seven days instead of the 12 days last year. Race organisers will also be beefing up public transport services during the road closure period from September 23 to 29. During the race weekend, up to 650 more train trips will be added, which will run until 1.15am. But what is significant this year is that all taxis will be allowed to enter restricted areas, without the need for special F1 decals.

Restricted areas include Temasek Boulevard via Rochor Road, as well as the single-lane road along Raffles Boulevard. But the new allowance does not apply to race hours, when only vehicles with F1 decals will be allowed in. Race hours are from 9pm to 11pm on September 25 and 26, and from 7pm to 10pm on September 27. Organisers hope the new taxi access will attract more people to visit retail and food and beverage outlets affected by the road closures. Justin Chew, director of F1 project, Singapore Tourism Board, said: "We are a lot more efficient this year, and we are a lot better. All the safety considerations have been addressed. So there is no need to avoid the area."

For race ticket holders, free shuttle services will take them to the race venue from Lavander, Kallang, Outram Park and Clarke Quay MRT stations. Those who will be heading to the affected area are also advised to plan their journey in advance to avoid unnecessary confusion over the road closures. The public can pick up an information leaflet on the road closures at petrol stations, shopping centres and hotels.

Despite the new measures to ease traffic congestion, some feel that more can be done. Michael Ma, CEO, IndoChine Group, said: "I feel that a lot of the roads do not even need to be closed at all, like in Monaco. I keep hearing the same story that Singapore is different from Monaco but to me, the car is the same - the same driver, the same organisation, the same speed. Why do we have to go through such hardship with road closures, and disrupt the whole city�s lifeline? And for seven days, that is ridiculous."

Race organisers stress that public transport is still the best way to travel into the Marina Bay area during the Singapore GP season, and it is also a speedier alternative for fans going to the F1 Rocks concert at Fort Canning Park.

F1 Teams hope to see the Light on Singapore Trip

Formula One teams will send experts to Singapore in the next few weeks to help them overcome some of the technical challenges posed by the sport's first night race, according to Honda team boss Ross Brawn.
"We are trying to understand the implications of the lighting," the Briton told reporters at last weekend's British Grand Prix.
"I think all the teams are sending someone over there in the next week or two, very soon, to have a look at a proportion of the track that's been lit for us to make a judgement and understand.
"Like most teams, we've got a simulator so we are trying to simulate those conditions but probably we won't know until we are actually there what extra problems it (the race) is going to present," he added.
Singapore, with a street circuit using public roads around the Marina Bay area, will host a round of the championship for the first time on September 28.
Organisers have said the circuit will be lit up by 1,500 projectors to a level bright enough to meet high definition television broadcast standards -- or four times brighter than a typical stadium.

REAR LIGHT
Brawn said the conditions posed particular problems for drivers, who would have to work with an unfamiliar anti-clockwise circuit that could be as unforgiving as Monaco.
"There are some simple things like the rear light for instance is extremely bright in those darkened conditions," he said. "The rear light might be a problem for drivers, so there are some adjustments we can make when we get there.
"But in terms of how the drivers will cope, that's quite difficult to mimic properly.
"You can go kart racing on illuminated circuits but I don't think it's the same. And there's dealing with the track because that can be quite tight and challenging as well," he continued.
"It might be an idea to have a day (practice) session before the night session just so we all get used to it."
Brawn said Formula One's sole tyre supplier Bridgestone would also have plenty of homework to do with the track likely to be cooler, in the absence of sunlight, in contrast to the warm ambient temperature.
"I think they are considering and studying what implications that might have with the compound selection. But there is a limited range of compounds and I know they are not going to invent a compound for it," he said.
Brawn suggested the teams would find the jet lag easier to handle, with the race held closer to the regular European schedule.
"We're not going to change out of the time zone," he said.
"Fundamentally we'll stay on European time and get up at midday and work until whatever time it is, so we won't have any jet lag to worry about."

First Ever Formula 1 driver on Singapore Streets

For those who wondered who was that driver behind the wheels of the First F1 car to ever drive on Singapore streets weel here he is : Robbie Wickens, he won the formula BMW USA championship, he is also a Redbull sponsered driver. He is Canada's biggest chance of seeing a Canadian driver in F1 again. He was a ful time driver for A1 Team Canada .

Date of Birth:
13 Mar 1989 (18 years old)
Nationality:
Canada (Etobicoke, Ontario)

A1GP Career History
2007/08: Canada (3 podiums)

A1GP Career Milestones

2007/08-Malaysia-S
First ever: podium place
2007/08-South Africa-S
First ever: pole position

Singapore Grand Prix Officials head to Australia

South Australia will play host to over 30 Singaporean motor sport officials at the Clipsal 500 Adelaide this weekend as they light the torch on preparations for the first ever night race to be held in Formula One history in September later this year.
CAMS, the Australian governing body for motor sport, has been appointed the official race organisation consultant for the 2008 FORMULA 1(tm) SingTel Singapore Grand Prix and will work with the organisers and senior officials of the Clipsal 500 Adelaide to provide their Singapore counterparts with specific training and practical experience in order to build their race organisation skills and knowledge, as well as to equip them with the ability to train others.

Many of the CAMS accredited Clipsal 500 Adelaide officials also have significant experience at the FORMULA 1(tm) ING Australian Grand Prix as well as other major international and Australian motor racing championships, including a direct involvement in the training of marshals for the FORMULA 1(tm) Gulf Air Bahrain Grand Prix from 2004 to 2006."CAMS is delighted to have been selected for this important consultancy role which clearly demonstrates its capacity to partner other agencies and act as a centre of excellence within the region," said CAMS Chief Executive Officer, Graham Fountain."The Singapore team have already completed an online introductory e-module outlining the various roles and responsibilities of Formula One officials as well as covering safety and emergency procedures."They undertook a full day of training yesterday in Adelaide which included a circuit racing induction module and tour of the track, and will now pair up with their equivalent Australian mentors during the event to observe and learn more about their specific roles."We are also very grateful to the organisers of the Clipsal 500 Adelaide for their willingness to assist CAMS in this international training effort and we know that the officiating knowledge gained at this world class event will not only prove invaluable to making the 2008 FORMULA 1 SingTel Singapore Grand Prix a major success, but also provide our Singaporean colleagues with an everlasting experience which mixes Australian culture and camaraderie with best practice race officiating."Clipsal 500 Adelaide Chief Executive, Andrew Daniels, was equally excited to be hosting the Singapore contingent."We welcome the opportunity to assist our friends from Singapore as they undertake what is undoubtedly an enormous task and trust that their Clipsal 500 Adelaide experience will hold them in good stead for their inaugural event in September.
We believe that the Clipsal 500 Adelaide is one of the best motor racing events anywhere in the world and view our association with this project as both an exciting opportunity to share our knowledge and also to be part of Formula One history by playing a small part in the first ever night race and first street race in Asia."
The next stop for the Singaporeans will be the 2008 FORMULA 1(tm) ING Australian Grand Prix in mid-March where they will undergo a similar training program with their Australian counterparts.

SOME INTERESTING FACTS:

* Singapore will send over 30 of their key officials to the Clipsal 500 Adelaide and the 2008 FORMULA 1(tm) ING Australian Grand Prix to undertake training.
* CAMS will provide approximately 80 key officials to work at the 2008 FORMULA 1(tm) SingTel Singapore Grand Prix.
* CAMS will train approximately 800 Singaporean motor sport officials between February and September 2008.
* The organisers of the FORMULA 1(tm) SingTel Singapore Grand Prix have engaged CAMS for a three-year consultancy role which will progressively train and mentor the Singapore officials to manage the event as a stand alone operation by 2011.

Singapore F1 Grand Prix Tickets Finally Released

F1 tickets go on sale tomorrow


AFTER a delay of more than a month, 70,000 tickets will finally be released for sale to the public from tomorrow for the inaugural SingTel Singapore Grand Prix.

Only three-day passes will be sold in the first phase, and these will comprise 15,000 walkabout tickets priced at $168 each and 55,000 grandstand seats ranging from $248 to $1,388.

These are in addition to the 11,000 corporate suite and 4,000 Paddock Club tickets on sale since November.

Last month, race organisers Singapore GP told Today they had to delay the release of tickets for the public, as efforts were being made to increase the capacity of the street circuit to accommodate more than the 65,000 ticket holders initially planned for. They have since added 5,000 more seats along Raffles Avenue.

But while fans are expected to throng grandstands at key spots along the circuit, the stretch at the Padang along St Andrew's Road could be noticeably empty during the race weekend from Sept 26 to 28.

The area can potentially seat 10,000 ticket holders, but as of yesterday, negotiations were still going on between Singapore GP and the stakeholders of the Padang � Singapore Recreation Club and Singapore Cricket Club � to set up grandstands there.

"If negotiations prove successful, we are looking to release additional grandstand seats at the Padang. These will likely be in the lower to middle price range," said Mr Jonathan Hallett, Singapore GP's media and communications director.

The most expensive tickets, as expected, will be for the grandstand seats at the first three turns as well as at the Start-Finish line � a three-day pass costs $1,388
The next costliest seats at $998 are at the Stamford Grandstand in front of the War Memorial, but fans on a smaller budget can still grab seats at the Bay Grandstand in front of the floating platform at Marina Bay for only $298 (lower tiers) or $248 (upper tiers).

Singapore GP said tickets will be sold on a first-come-first-serve basis, and to make them available to as many people as possible, each buyer will only be allowed to buy a maximum of eight tickets.

Tickets will also be sold through agents in North America, Europe, Australia and other parts of Asia.

The 15,000 general admission or walkabout tickets are expected to be the first to sell out.

At $168 for a three-day pass, this is one of the cheapest packages available for any of the venues on the Formula 1 calendar, and the ticket will allow access to many of the areas around the circuit, except the sector surrounding the paddock and adjacent grandstands.

Each three-day pass can also be used by different people on different days.

Weekend and single-day tickets will be sold at a later date, if there are still tickets available.

Tickets will be available online from 9am tomorrow at www.sin-gaporegp.sg, or by calling the hotline 6738 6738.

Thereafter, they will be available between 10am to 8pm from Monday to Friday, and 12pm to 6pm on weekends.

Get set for F1 Roar

Next month�s Chingay
Parade will feature
Red Bull�s race car

TO PULL it off required some last-minute preparations, but the People�s Association (PA) did
not hesitate at the chance to give fans a �preview� of a Formula 1 car�s power, seven months before
the full blast of the inaugural SingTel Singapore Grand Prix.
Now, Singaporeans will have two opportunities to see a car from Red Bull Racing roar along
a part of the Grand Prix street circuit, before the highly-anticipatedSept 28 night race.
The team is one of 11 Formula 1 outfits that will do battle
this season and one of its cars will feature in the 36th edition of the Chingay Parade on Feb 16.
The car will also roar down the circuit on preview day � Feb 15, the day before � and will do
sprints and doughnuts (180 degree spins) with one of their top drivers, David Coulthard or Mark
Webber, at the wheel.
It will be the first item in the parade line-up and the car will start in front of the City Hall
steps and run down Connaught Drive and Raffles Avenue, before ending its stint in front of Ritz-Carlton Hotel.
Speaking at the press conference yesterday, PA chief executive director Tan Boon Huat said: �I got a call late last month that Red Bull (Austria) were interested to showcase their car at
the Chingay Parade.
�The Chingay is already a big event, but having an F1 car running in it was an opportunity
to give Singaporeans something exciting to see. We had to rush to get things done, but it was
all worth it.� Tan said safety was the organisers� main concern but once
they ticked off all the boxes with the help of the Singapore Motor Sports Association (SMSA), PA
managed to get the permits from the Land Transport Authority and the Police.
Red Bull Racing are expected to run the 2007 version of their car � designed by Formula1 guru Adrian Newey � at the parade but will not touch top speeds of more than 300kmh.
�The Red Bull crew will be down earlier to assess what they can do,� said SMSA president
Tan Teng Lip. �But as they will be doing only short sprints and spins, the car will probably top 150kmh at most.
�In any case, we will have all the safety barriers in place.�

Hotel Rooms during SingaporeF1 race period going fast

For Those planning to spend a few days holiday in Singapore, i'd better warn You, please start saving now and get that Credit card ready... RATES of $1,000 a night and higher have not deterred Formula 1 fans from snapping up trackside hotel rooms for the inaugural Singapore Grand Prix.

Hotels ranging from the glitzy Ritz-Carlton Millennia Singapore to the Peninsula-Excelsior Hotel are already fully booked for the Sept 26 to 28 race. This is despite significantly higher than normal room rates of over $1,000 per night for the Ritz (about a 100 per cent increase) and $300 for the Peninsula (about a 50 per cent increase).

Two other hotels - Swissotel The Stamford and Pan Pacific Singapore - anticipate a 100 per cent occupancy rate.

One reason for the higher rates is that the Government will be imposing a special hotel tax on total room revenue from Sept 24 to 28 - the week of the race.

The tax will range from 30 per cent - for the 11 trackside hotels - to 20 per cent for all other hotels and a minimum 3-5 nights stay will also be imposed - Sorry Guys No one nite Stand -

Trackside hotels such as Marina Mandarin ($1,500 per night) and Fairmont Singapore ($1,830) are still entertaining bookings.

The Fullerton has yet to confirm rates, but will place those interested on a wait-list.

The high take-up rate is not confined to trackside hotels.

The Four Seasons, along Orchard Boulevard, also managed to sell out all of its rooms from Sept 20 to 28.

The race will be held on Sept 28. Qualifying sessions begin on Sept 27.

Tourists are expected to form a significant portion of the 100,000 fans expected for the grand prix, and they are expected to spend around $100 million on hotels, and at food and beverage outlets, nightspots and the like.

Corporate hospitality packages ranging from $3,500 to $7,500 per head have also been selling well. These were put on the market by race organisers Singapore GP in November.

A Singapore GP spokesman declined comment, but it is believed that suites in areas such as the pit area and exclusive Paddock Club are close to being sold out.


In the Meantime eager F1 fans are still waiting for the release of normal tickets...


GP organisers DO YOU HEAR ME ?? .... WE ARE STILL WAITING FOR THE TICKETS.....


********* According to this morning newspapers, organisers have said they will tentatively release general admissions tickets after the upcoming Chinese New Year **********

Alain prost Blames Ron Dennis for Driver's Fallout

FOUR-TIME F1 world champion Alain Prost blamed McLaren boss Ron Dennis for last year's bitter fallout between drivers Fernando Alonso and Lewis Hamilton.

The French Champion said Fernando Alonso had abandoned the team and returned to Renault after only one season because Dennis had not done enough to manage the two drivers.

Prost spent seven seasons at McLaren and won the championship 3 times with the team in 1985, 1986 and 1989. He said the team should have abandoned its tradition of allowing its two drivers to fight for the title.

"I really suffer for them and for the team," Prost said yesterday. "I did not understand why Ron, when he signed the contract, has decided not to have a No. 1 and a No. 2 (driver) and be really clear from the beginning to avoid this kind of thing.

"I think they maybe underestimated Lewis and maybe overestimated Fernando, and the capacity of Fernando being No. 1.

"And maybe Ron is not the best guy to deal with this kind of situation.

"He says he is the best and has the qualities, but maybe not to settle the relationship between the drivers in his team."

The drama between Alonso and Hamilton was a repeat of the intense rivalry between Prost and Brazilian champion Ayrton Senna at McLaren in the late 1980s.

That ended after two years when Prost quit McLaren and moved to Ferrari in 1990.

The Senna and Prost duel is considered one of the most aggressive and controversial in F1 history, with the pair crashing into each other several times. ( refer to my Videos Links )

ALONSO made a perfect start to his return to Renault yesterday with the fastest time in testing at the Jerez circuit in southern Spain.

The Spaniard did 70 laps with a best of 1min 19.503sec in last year's car, according to unofficial times.

Compatriot Pedro de la Rosa, the McLaren test driver, was second on the timesheets (1:19.650) in that team's new car, with Ferrari's world champion Kimi Raikkonen third in 1:19.708.

Formula 1 Roadshow races @ Changi Airport

Full-scale Ferrari replica by Shell at Changi Airport Terminal 2 Departure Transit Mall's event site

Daily interactive game show where participants stand to win exclusive F1� memorabilia

Changi Airport is the first venue in Singapore for the roadshow

Changi Airport plays host to the 2008 FORMULA 1� SingTel Singapore Grand Prix roadshow from 14 to 22 January 2008. Changi Airport is the first venue in Singapore to play host to the roadshow, which is being held to gear up for Singapore�s first FORMULA 1� and Asia�s first FORMULA 1� street race. The race is taking place from 26 to 28 September at the Marina Bay Street Circuit. This promotional roadshow is being held at Terminal 2�s Departure Transit Mall, Central Events Site (behind DFS Watches).

2 The roadshow, jointly organised by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore and race promoter, Singapore GP Pte Ltd, features a series of interactive stations, providing fans with stimulating

The race track simulator where passengers can indulge in a simulated race
multi-sensory experiences. The key highlight is a full-scale Ferrari replica show car by Shell that will provide F1� fanatics with coveted photo opportunities. Other stations feature a race track simulator and educational panels on F1�, its history and information on the Singapore race.

3 Interactive game shows will also be held daily at 5pm, 6.15pm, 7.30pm and 8.45pm. Participants stand to win exclusive F1� memorabilia.